


October Birthday

by maychorian



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Drama, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 22:03:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4454009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maychorian/pseuds/maychorian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Kenma's birthday. He doesn't want to leave his room. Kuroo has other plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	October Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> For my birthday this year I asked for tumblr prompts for presents. This one was "haikyuu, kuroo and kenma, apple pie."

“It’s your birthday, Kenma. You have to come out of your room.”

Kenma didn’t look up from his PSP. Didn’t even glance in Kuroo’s direction. He was entirely focused on the battle in his hands. “It’s my birthday. I can do what I want.”

Kuroo sighed and stepped over to the bed where Kenma lay on his back, holding the device above his head with both hands. Kuroo sat on the floor, leaning back against the side of the bed, and tipped his head sideways to look at Kenma’s face. “Are you still upset about what the senpai said the other day?”

Kenma hit the buttons a little harder than necessary. “Of course not. I forgot all about that.”

“Did you really?”

His character died on the screen in agonizing screams and a shower of blood. Kenma frowned at the Game Over screen, then let the PSP drop from his hands onto the bedding beside him, only narrowly missing Kuroo’s head. Kuroo didn’t even blink. He was used to Kenma’s low-level fits of temper that no one else would even recognize as fits of temper. He just continued to stare at Kenma, his eyes wide and seemingly guileless.

Kenma wasn’t fooled. He scowled even more fiercely, then turned over his side with his back to Kuroo. “I’m doing what you asked me to do. I’m staying the course. I’m being a good little first-year and letting the senpai boss me around until we finally, finally make it to a time when things will change, like you keep promising they will. Isn’t that enough? I’m doing what you want me to do.”

Kuroo was quiet for a moment. “Yeah, but you aren’t happy about it.”

Kenma spasmed in frustration. “What, it’s not enough for me to do all this? To bite my tongue every time I see the captain do something stupid, every time the setter ignores the signs of what play should come next? You want me to be  _happy_ about it, too?”

Kuroo groaned and got up on his knees beside the bed so he could lean over and rest his chin on Kenma’s shoulder. “No, of course not. I don’t blame you for being upset. And I don’t want to force you to accept the way they treat you either. I’m sorry it’s so hard right now. I just… I want…”

It was unusual for Kuroo to sound uncertain. Kenma held still, trying to listen and understand. Kuroo hid a lot of his feelings under the confident way he carried himself, the casual disregard he showed everyone who was outside his circle of friends. He was only really hesitant like this when he and Kenma were alone, when he was very, very earnest about something but couldn’t quite figure out how to say what he wanted to say.

“I don’t want to force you to be happy,” Kuroo said quietly. “But I wish… I wish I could make you happy, somehow. Someway. Even if it’s just for one day, on your birthday.”

Kenma said nothing. He’d never realized that Kuroo didn’t already know. Kuroo didn’t know that he already made Kenma happy all the time, in lots of ways. Maybe he mistook Kenma’s happiness for mere contentment or peacefulness rather than what it really was—the closest Kenma ever came to feeling joy. But he had to at least know that his presence was soothing, right? He wouldn’t keep coming over and pushing his way into Kenma’s rare alone time if he didn’t know that, would he?

“So could you…just for a little while…” Kuroo said slowly. “Give me a chance to try? Come out of your bedroom and come outside with me. Just for a little while. Just to the cafe down the street. I promise you’ll like it. Even if you don’t like it very much, you’ll at least enjoy yourself a little bit.”

Kenma didn’t like the hesitancy in Kuroo’s voice. They shouldn’t be unsure with each other. They knew each other too well for that.

Maybe he was being too stubborn. He should let Kuroo know that his efforts were valued, no matter how Kenma whined and moaned and struggled to escape Kuroo’s attentions.

Kenma released a sigh, his body relaxing into his bed. “All right. Just for a little while.”

Kuroo bounded to his feet at once. “All right, let’s go! And leave your game behind, please.” All of the hesitancy was gone, that cocky confidence in charge again. Kuroo’s moments of vulnerability never lasted for long.

Kenma groaned and rolled up to his feet, rubbing his eyes as he blinked away hours staring at a tiny screen. Kuroo led the way out of the bedroom to the entryway of the apartment, where he oversaw Kenma putting on his jacket and shoes with a sideways smirk, bouncing on his toes as he waited.

“Mom, I’m going out with Kuro!” Kenma called as he opened the outside door.

“Good!” his mother called back, strangely powerful. “Stay out and have a fun birthday!”

Kenma shook his head and let Kuroo lead him down the hallway. His mom had never understood him.

Kuroo said nothing as they walked down the street, letting Kenma acclimate to being outside in nature again. Kenma shivered against the October air and narrowed his eyes in the breeze. It wasn’t a bad day, though. The sky was clear blue-gray, and it wasn’t so cold that he needed more than his warm-up jacket.

At the cafe at the end of the street, Kuroo paused with his hand on the door and looked at Kenma. “Don’t be mad,” he said. “There’s some company here, but only people you like.”

Kenma blinked, but he didn’t object as Kuroo led the way inside.

“Happy birthday, Kenma!” cried the people waiting for them at a corner booth. Kai, Yaku, Yamamoto, Fukunaga. Well, everyone called out but Fukunaga, who just gave Kenma his usual wide-eyed stare, though Kenma could tell by his expression that he was glad to see them. Their teammates, all second- and first-years, all people Kenma tolerated and Kuroo valued. They were going to be a great team next year, or so Kuroo kept insisting.

An apple pie waited on the table, stuck through with candles. As soon as they came in the door, Kai started lighting them. Kuroo put a hand on Kenma’s shoulder, but he didn’t have to push him. Kenma moved over to the booth all on his own, and he even managed a smile.

Kuroo was right. He did like it. In the end, it was the best birthday Kenma had had in years.


End file.
